Parachute harness



Sept. 20, 1938. G ROGERS I 2,l3{),564-

PABAC HUTE HARNE S 5 Filed March 30, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 20, 1938. H. 6. ROGERS PARACHUTE HARNESS 2 Sheets-She et 2 Filed March 30, 1957 FIG. 3

Harold li-Liig Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PABACHUTE HARNESS Harold G. Rogers, Buffalo, N. Y., assignor to Irving Air Chute Company, Inc., Buflalo, N. Y.-,

a corporation Application March so, 1937, serial No. 133,883

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in parachute harness constructions.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved parachute harness of the single point release type having an improved construction by means of which a quick connector pack may be attached thereto at the front of the wearer in a safe, convenient and easy accessible relation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred construction of the improved harness,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved harness upon a wearer with a quick connector pack attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a similar view with the quick connector pack removed.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the harness showing its detailed construction.

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view showing the 5 manner in which couplings are amxed upon the harness and pack so that they may be easily connected together without fumbling.

Figures 5 and 6 are cross sectional views taken through details of the harness substantially on 30 the respective lines shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts coupling connections on the front portion'of the 45 harness and in a relation upon the harness which will permit of the safe and expeditious application of the pack upon the harness.

Generally the harness A includes a supporting sling 30 of double webbing stitched together and 50 providing a seat portion 3| and vertical riser webs 32 and 33 which extend from the seat portion and are adapted to be placed upwardly at the sides and towards the front ofthe wearer and over the shoulders at 34 and 35; the double 55 webbing continuing rearwardly as back straps 35 and 3! cross each other at a point 38. At the point 38 the double webbing ends in slip loops at the crossing point 38, which hold the back straps 36 and 31 in a crossed relation permitting of limited play. The straps 36 and 31 B terminate in permanent connections 40 and 4| with the riser webs 33 and 32 respectively. As will be noted from Figures 3 and 5 of the drawings each of the straps 33 and 31 adjacent to its permanent connection with the riser'web has 10 an adjustment. This adjustment, as is shown for the strap 35 in Figure 5, consists in providing a short tab loop 32 which is permanently stitched, as at 59 to the riser web 33 (see Figure 3). It has a connector ring i! thereon through which 15 the doubled end of the strap 35 is threaded. This strap 36 at its extreme end has a three bar adapter 48 which is adjustably connected on the intermediate portion of the strap 36. By sliding the adapter 48 along the strap 33 the back strap 20 may be adjusted in length to suit the stature of the wearer. The construction is identical for both the back straps 33 and 37.

Breast straps 50 and 5| are permanently connected at points 52 and 53 with the upper .ends of the riser webs 32 and .33 respectively adjacent tothe shoulder portions 33 and 35 thereof. They extend therefrom in a downwardly slightly convergent relation and slidably extend through suitable tunnels 54 and 55 respectively in the riser webs 32 and 33 at a location above the hips of the wearer, and above the fixed connections 50 and 4| of the back straps.- The end of each strap 5|Iand 5| at the sides and back beyondthe slide tunnels 54 and 55 is extended horizontally across the small of the back of a wearer and eaph end of each strap 50 and 5|, as thus extended across the back of a wearer, is pro vided with a three-bar adapter 51, best shown in Figure 6 or the drawings. These adapters for each of the straps 59 and 5| extended is adjustably threaded on the other strap so as to provide a rear horii'ontal back strap adjustment which may suit the girth of the wearer so as not to displace the riser webs and breast straps upon the wearer. t

It will thus be noted that the straps and 5| form not only breast straps, but also a horizontal back strap. On the breast strap loops the straps 50 and 5| are provided with slidably threaded 50 coupling or fastener parts 60 and 6| for releasable connection with aquick release fitting C.

The quick release fitting C may be of the nature set forth in =co-pending. application Serial No. 94,470, or o! the type shown in U. S. Patents Nos.

1,842,611 or 1,899,656. The connector C may be releasable from all the fittings, but it is preferred to make at least one of the fittings, such as the fitting GI with a permanent connection to the quick release fitting C. The latter operates as set forth in the above patents and need not be further detailed here.

Leg straps I0 and H are formed of double layers of stitched webbing, connected at approximately the central location 12' on the seat strap 3| of the suspension sling. These leg straps 70. and H are of greater length than leg straps of quick release harnesses heretofore provided. They are adjustable, as to length, by means of adapters 12 of the three-bar variety. These adapters I2 are on the extreme ends of the doubled leg straps which are doubled upon themselves to furnish adjustment loops. At the ends of these adjustment loops coupling fittings l6 and 11 of the same nature as the fittings 60 and GI are provided for releasable connection with the quick release fitting 0. Each leg strap extends, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings,from the crotch of the wearer underneath the adjacent side riser strap, at the hip of the wearer, and then across the front of the A riser strap for connection to the quick release fitting C. v

The quick connector pack B is of the type described in my application Serial' No. 134,109, filed March 31, 1937, preferably of the soft pack variety in which the pack fioats away after the rip cord is pulled and the parachute has opened. It is provided upon the exterior of the container with definitely spaced and located couplings 80, preferably of the snap fastener variety, which when the parachute pack is unopened, are in a fixed location upon the pack 'by means of a construction set forth in my above identified application Serial No. 134,109, filed March 31, 1937, and also shown in application Serial No. 9,670,

' filed March 6, 1935. This construction need not preferably above the center of gravity of thebe enlarged upon except to say that the pack 3' has a.' container 82 and the parachute packed therein is providedwith suspension webs 83 terminating in the snap fasteners 80. The latter extend exteriorly of the pack and are permanently located exteriorly on the container by means ofa wire pin 8| on the suspension strap 83, which extends through a suitable stud 85 on the snap fastener, as shown in Figure 4. This definitely and fixedly locates the snap fastener 80 exteriorly on the pack, when the pack is closed *for quick attachment to the complementary coupling part located on the harness, without necessity of fumbling.

The harness A is provided with an improved coupling arrangement which consists of a ring 90 permanently fixed and located upon each side riser web 32 and 33 of the harness just above the tunnel through which the breast strapslides, and

wearer. These coupling rings 90 are sloped upwardly at an acute angle to the riser web portion webbing is threaded, and to which the webbing is stitched in the relation shown in Figure 4, so that the coupling ring 90 will hold the acute angled relation with the stifi'ened portion of the riser web to which it is attached.

' coupling parts connected therewith for releasable coupling to the parachute harness, and complementary coupling rings permanently and fixedly connected upon the riser webs of the harness in outstanding relation therefrom at the normal front of the wearer and sloped upwardly to facilitate attachment of the coupling parts of Ethe pack thereto.

2. In a parachute harness the combination of a suspension sling arrangement including side riser webs, other body attaching straps connected with said sling arrangemenha parachute pack'having coupling parts connected therewith for releasable coupling tothe parachute harness, and complementary coupling members permanently and fixedly connected upon the riser webs of the harness at the normal front of the wearer and acutely sloped upwardly to facilitate attachment of the coupling parts of the pack thereto, the coupling parts of the pack being of the snap fastener variety and the coupling parts of the riser webs being of the loop type.

3. In .a parachute harness the combination of a suspension sling arrangement including side riser webs, other bodyattaching straps connected with said sling arrangement, a parachute pack having coupling parts connected therewith for releasable coupling to the parachute harness, complementary coupling members permanently and fixedly connected upon the riser webs of the harness at the normal front of the wearer and acutely sloped upwardly to facilitate attachment of the coupling parts of the pack thereto, the coupling parts of the pack being of the snap fastener variety and the coupling parts of the riser webs being of the loop type, the respective riser webs immediately above the coupling loops connected therewith being rigidly stiffened.

4. In parachute harness the'combination of a suspension sling, including a seat portion, side riser webs and back straps serving as extensions of said riser webs and disposed in crossing relation at the back and having permanent connection with the opposite riser webs at about the normal waist of a wearer, leg straps connected with the seat straps, means for adjusting the length of the said back straps, breast straps connected with the riser webs, and a quick release fitting for releasably connecting the leg straps and breast straps together.

A 5. In a parachute harness the combination of a U-shaped suspension sling including a seat portion and side riser webs, said side riser webs extending. upwardly to provide shoulder. portions and thence continuing directly in crossing relation at the normal back of a wearer to provide back straps having connection with the side riser webs at about the waist of the wearer, breast straps, leg straps, a single point release fitting for releasably connecting all of the breast and leg straps together at the front of a wearer, and parachute pack attaching couplings on the side riser webs below the shoulders in definitely position load suspension relation thereat.

6. In a parachute harness the combination of a U-shaped suspension sling including a seat portion and side riser webs, said side riser webs extending upwardly to provide shoulder portions and thence continuing directly in crossing relation at'the normal back of a wearer to provide back straps having connection with the side riser webs at about the waist of the wearer, breast I straps. leg straps. a single point release fitting ior releasably connecting all of the breast and leg straps together at the front of a wearer, and parachute pack attaching couplings on the side riser webs below the shoulders in definitely position load suspension relation thereat, said couplings being podtioned in outstanding nonwobhling position so that a pack may be directly connected thereto without the necessity v o! manual tumbling with said couplings.

HAROLD G. ROGERS. 

